John Martin highlights another busy weekend in East Tennessee

The Museum of Appalachia's 33rd annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming gets under way. Homecoming is one of the nation's largest and most authentic music and folk festivals. Each day, all day, musicians perform on five unique outdoor stages, filling the air with traditional mountain, folk, bluegrass, Gospel, and vintage country tunes. Homecoming includes demonstrations of mountain skills, a large craft fair featuring authentic Appalachian artisans, and traditional Southern "comfort" foods. For Homecoming tickets, call (865) 494-7680 or online at www.museumofappalachia.org.

Underhill Rose with Angela Easterling will perform on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. The Blue Plate Special takes place every weekday at noon. Head on down to the Knoxville Visitor Center for the free, live broadcast.

The Foothills Fall Festival returns to Maryville for three days of food, fun and some of the best music around. The "ArtWay" and "Adventure Land" will be open from noon to six on Friday. The music begins at 6 pm with Steve Rutledge, followed by Jerrod Niemann at 7pm, at headliner Gary Allan at 9 pm. For a full list of festival scheduling, concert tickets and more, visit www.foothillsfallfestival.com.

BOO! at the Zoo 2012 will celebrate 12 nights of safe and not-too-scary Halloween fun in October, starting Friday from 5:30 - 8 pm. Tickets are $6 per person (2 and under are free). Parking is $5.

Movies on Market Square wraps up in downtown Knoxville. This week, you can enjoy "The Blind Side". Pre-show activities begin at 6:30 pm, including pet tips and advice, as well as an array of animal-pleasing activities. The movies start at dusk.

The 3rd annual "Clips of Faith Beer and Film Tour" will hit the World's Fair Park Lawn at 7 pm. Clips of Faith is a beer-toting, film-traveling, nonprofit-benefiting the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club. For more information, visit www.ambc-sorba.org.

Best known for his third place finish on the season 4 of Last Comic Standing, Chris Porter will perform at Side Splitters Comedy Club. $12 tickets may be purchased at the door for the 7:45 pm performance.

Foothills Community Players presents "A Few Good Men". Foothills Community Players kicks off its fifth season with this production about the trial of two Marines charged with complicity in the death of a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay. Adult tickets are $17.50, seniors and students are $15.50. Show time is set 7:30 pm.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13

The Market Square Farmers' Market opens at 9 am. Grab some cash and bring some friends down to support your local farmers and artisans.

'ADENTURECON: Knoxville's Pop Culture Extravaganza' kicks off at the Knoxville Convention Center. If you collect toys, comics, autographs and TV/movie memorabilia, this event is not to be missed. Single day tickets are $15 or $20 for the weekend. ADVENTURECON runs from 9:30 to 5:30 pm.

The 2012 Multi-Site Parade Of Homes is a tour of new and totally renovated homes in Knox, Anderson, Blount, and Loudon Counties. With homes in a variety of locations and price ranges, the Parade is the perfect source for anyone who plans to buy a new home or wants to see the newest trends in the home building industry. For a downloadable map, visit www.theparadeofhomesknoxville.com.

Join Sabrina DeVault for a guided hike around Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge in southeast Knox County. Snacks will be provided. The program is $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Pre-registration is required; call (865) 577-4717 ext. 110 to register. The walk begins at 10 am.

The Big KnoxVenture Race is a team-based race through downtown Knoxville that uses the physical, mental, and creative strengths of participants to complete different challenges at stops along the course. KnoxVenture benefits the Sports Buddies program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee to partner children and mentors together who share a common interest in sports. The race begins at 10 am. Visit www.knoxventure.org for more information.

St. Joseph School will have its annual fall festival from 10 am to 7 pm. Saturday. The event will include barbecue, live music, a karaoke contest, children's games, crafts, a country store, a cake walk, a silent auction, and more. Call the school office at (865) 689-3424 for more details.

The Foothills Fall Festival continues on its second day of three at 10 am. The "ArtWay" and "Adventure Land" will be open from 10 until 6. Train headlines a night of music at the festival at 8:30. For a full list of festival scheduling, concert tickets and more, visit www.foothillsfallfestival.com.

Swamp Cabbage with Mike Wootan will perform on the Saturday edition of the WDVX Blue Plate Special. You can be entertained at the Knoxville Visitor Center for free at noon.

GO! Contemporary Dance Works will present both new and revisited works at the Clarence Brown Theatre at 7 pm. Choreographic works by Denise Njuguna will be featured in the program, as well as works by Dylan Kendrick, Jill Frere, Leah Pinder and United Kingdom guest artist Rebecca Evans. Tickets prices are $18/$14 if purchased at the door.

Tickets to the Ingrid Michaelson Fall Acoustic Tour with Sugar & The Hi-Lows at the Bijou are sold out. Show time is set for 8 pm.

The Coveralls will perform at Preservation Pub at 10 pm. The Ides of Swing will begin the night at 8. There is a $5 cover for the show.

The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson welcomes James McMurtry with special guest Joe Pug. Tickets are $20 at the gate. The music begins at 8 pm in Maryville.

The Tennessee Vols travel to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Kick-off is scheduled for 9 pm. ESPN2 will provde this week's television coverage.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14

'ADENTURECON: Knoxville's Pop Culture Extravaganza' continues at the Knoxville Convention Center. If you collect toys, comics, autographs and TV/movie memorabilia, this event is not to be missed. Single day tickets are $15 for the day. ADVENTURECON runs from 10 to 4:30 pm.

9 furnished homes throughout downtown Knoxville will showcase examples of occupied urban living space for the annual City People Home Tour from 11 am to 4 pm. James White Fort will also be featured as Knoxville's first downtown home. Advanced tickets sales are only $10 and can be purchased at Bliss Home on Market Square and Kingston Pike or online at www.citypeople.org.

The Foothills Fall Festival winds down in Maryville beginning at noon. Darius Rucker will headline a day full of music that includes Pistol Creek Catch of the Day, Brad Blackwell, The Farm, and Thompson Square. For a full list of festival scheduling, concert tickets and more, visit www.foothillsfallfestival.com.

In recognition of The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, join The Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan at 4 pm in their outdoor chapel for the annual Blessing of the Animals. Please bring all animals on a leash or in a carrier. If you wish, bring a bag of dog or cat food or old towels.